Thanks John, I really like the tartan too, as well as the USAK semi-trad. With no clan affiliation and a limited budget, I was basically choosing from USAK`s PV range. I wanted something with a little history behind it, and I`m very pleased with the result. I like your advice, right now, my waist is about the same as my hips, so using the belt loops seems like a good option to have. I`m hoping to shrink the waist a bit, but, you know, the struggle goes on... Doug